Day 1 - IFA International

Exclusive Interview

Exclusive Interview PHILIPS – INNOVATION THAT MATTERS TO YOU. Founded in 1891, Philips has developed into one of the biggest and most innovative technology companies worldwide. With its three different sectors: Healthcare, Lighting and Consumer Lifestyle, Philips is broadly-based and has always pursued one goal: To improve people’s lives, by making it easier, healthier and more enjoyable. IFA Berlin plays a major role for Philips right from the beginning in 1924: the world’s largest trade fair for Consumer Electronics, White Goods and Telecommunications is the perfect place to be for presenting new products and technology. In cooperation with the IFA, Philips set many trends, which developed the market and increased the market growth. Thereby, Philips has always taken smart and strategic decisions, which often pre-empted rapid developments of the market and led to significant success. In 2013 “Smart” arrived in every product area presented on the IFA fairground. Philips points out how smart technology solutions can upgrade consumers’ lives and how they accompany the long-term corporate strategy of Philips. Smart Air Purifier Philips Drives Digital Connected products must address Pieter Nota Vice President Philips & CEO Philips Consumer Lifestyle “We invest in the space where innovation and people meet” In his Opening Keynote, Pieter Nota, Philips Vice President & CEO of Philips Consumer Lifestyle will highlight the challenges posed by intelligent technological solutions and their influence in Philips’ long-term corporate strategy. He told IFAInternational how smart technology solutions can upgrade consumers’ lives and underpin the longterm corporate strategy of Philips. [ Interview by Richard Barnes ] In the Philips opening keynote this year, I want to talk about innovation – in particular digital innovation. Since its earliest days, the Philips brand has stood for leadership in innovation – a position we proudly continue today and which is the engine of our growth. We invest in the space where innovation and people meet, because consumers want innovation to be personal, relevant & impactful. We are always passionate to invent and partner with others to apply technology that helps people succeed, and in this year’s address, I want to share the great opportunity digital innovation presents. Why? Because our consumers are increasingly looking for smart, personalised solutions that help them to be healthy, live well and enjoy life. I believe that digital can give another boost to innovation, but the rules have not changed. To be successful, connected products must also address a clear consumer benefit. This year we are hearing a lot about the "connected world". How important will connectivity between products become in the coming years? Connectivity between products will be critical in the coming years, but only where there is a clear consumer benefit. Philips is at the forefront of the connected world with great examples across Philips healthcare, lighting and consumer lifestyle. The Philips Hue, the world’s smartest LED bulb, is probably one of the best-known examples. This was launched last year and was awarded ‘Best Product Of 2012’ by Forbes magazine. It demonstrates the digital philosophy that Philips is embracing. By understanding consumers, their motivations, behaviours and desires, and creating products inspired by them, Philips is delivering innovation that is meaningful. This year we are introducing a new range of connected products, that span every room in the home. Philips has that breadth and is becoming a leader in digital. Let me give two examples. Air quality is a key driver for healthy living in markets such as China, and focus is beginning to spread into Europe. The Philips Connected Air Purifier provides families with the confidence that they are breathing clean air within their home, providing a real-time overview and control of indoor and outdoor air quality via their smartphones. Philips Air Purifiers help families to feel better and more comfortable in the home, and can especially help to improve the lives of those suffering from allergies or respiratory problems. The ‘Philips HomeCooker neXt’ is a concept that sees Philips look to the future of cooking. The HomeCooker neXt connects 22

Exclusive Interview Innovation clear consumer benefits says Pieter Nota to a new, dedicated app where consumers can download digitally-ready recipies. These recipies communicate directly with the HomeCooker, telling the device how to cook the chosen dish, intelligently stirring, changing cooking temperature and managing time. This concept delivers on the consumer need to create home-cooked meals from fresh ingredients, while being ‘free’ from the kitchen during cooking. We are showcasing two concepts and three innovation introductions at this year’s IFA and they can be experienced on our stand, in Hall 22. These propositions are based on deep consumer insights, and because they are connected and software-based, will continue to evolve based on the activity and feedback of the consumers, developers and individuals. We are looking forward to collecting lots of feedback on our stand. Philips has made a couple of important JV's in recent times, allowing you to recentre your ambitions on the areas of consumer health and well-being. What is the perspective for these areas? I’m pleased to say that Philips is a powerful brand in television, audio and video entertainment and here at IFA we have launched many innovations and won hundreds of industry awards over the years. This year is no different. Yesterday, I shared the stage with Maarten de Vries from TP Vision and Wiebo Vaartjes, the “We want to help consumers to be healthy and live well, in a more sustainable world” leader of the Audio, Video coffee. We are delivering Entertainment businesses personal health and where they announced the latest innovations and yet more awards. Philips is proud of its legacy and excited about the future success of Philips in these categories. These partnerships allow me and my team to focus on the next phase for wellbeing innovation that truly matters to consumers, like the Philips Sonicare range or the Philips AirFryer. And this year at IFA we are showcasing digital propositions – responding to consumer needs for smart, personalised solutions. Philips Consumer Lifestyle - becoming the leading technology company in personal Health & Wellbeing. We want to help consumers to be healthy and live well, in a more sustainable world, and are driving global scale and category leadership in exciting businesses like male As a well-established brand in the market, Philips now has several areas in which it is marketing. We’re digitising across the value chain, starting with identifying consumer needs, designing and implementing the product or service, bringing that innovation to Smart Air Purifier App grooming, oral healthcare, market and explaining it to kitchen appliances and the world. Our marketing Hall 22 focus is strongly digital, and we are stepping up one-on-one engagement with consumers along their decision journey, engaging at the right moment with relevant content. How important is IFA for Philips in terms of global marketing and sales? Philips has been present at IFA since the very first show in 1924. From its earliest days, IFA has been a hotbed of creativity – showcasing and sparking technical innovation and driving consumer demand. That’s what makes it special for Philips. Stand 101 www.ifa-international.org IFAInternational • Friday 6 th September 2013 23